1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to loadbinders and turnbuckles, and more specifically relates to ratchet loadbinders of the type having toothed ratchet wheels and resiliently biased pawl members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When desiring to draw up and secure lengths of chain, cable, strapping, or other flexible tie members placed about a load, it is well known to utilize some form of ratcheting apparatus wherein oscillating handle movements are transferred into axially directed take up forces. Many prior art loadbinders utilize ratcheting structures including two separate pawl members each carried by the loadbinder's handle, the pawls being respectively interchangeably placed into or out of engagement with the ratchet gear depending upon the action desired. In other prior art devices, single pawl members having two separate pawl heels are utilized wherein rotation of the double-heeled pawl from one operating position to the other effects selectivity of the loadbinder's operating mode. Yet another type of prior art device uses a single pawl member having a single heel capable of being selectively moved from one operating mode to another, but uses not resilient member to assure pawl heel-to-gear engagement during all movements of the associated handle.
So as to counteract the tendency of a pawl, once prepositioned, from being inadvertently moved out of the desired operating position during non-working or indexing stroke handle movements of a loadbinder, most of the prior art devices use some type of structure to prevent such an occurrence or avoid structures for carrying out that function. Many prior art devices exhibit complicated and inefficient spring arrangements due to their particular pawl design. Oftentimes, such spring arrangements caused the spring to deteriorate at a more rapid rate than usual which caused the springs to break during normal use. Other single pawl prior art devices did not use any spring means which resulted in the lack of the necessary flexibility in the pawl member during indexing stroke handle movements, or in the lack of maintaining continuous engagement between the pawl's heel and the ratchet gear.
Another significant fault with prior art ratchet loadbinder devices centered about the fact that, due to their particular indexing mechanism, the teeth of the ratchet wheel were oftentimes undesirably loaded in bending, the result of which often caused cracked gears or broken gear teeth.